Electric-light socket.



A. C. RYDER.

ELECTRIC LIGHT SOCKET.

APPLICATION man amza. ms.

1,287,449. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

C 'nucuhw A. C. Ryder ALFRED CORNELIUS RYDER, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application filed April 29, 1918. Serial No, 281,389.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. RYDER, a citizen of the United States,residlng at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery, State of Alabama,have invented a new and useful Electric-Light Socket; and I do herebydeclare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The resent invention relates to an electric lig t socket, and has forits object to Iprovide a device of this character which emodies novelfeatures of construction whereby a threaded plug or the conventionalthreaded base of an incandescent light can be forced into positionwithin the socket or forcibly withdrawn therefrom without the necessityof screwing it into and out of osition, thereby avoiding the loss oftlme which is incident to the use of the ordinary threaded socket, aswell as the objectionable twisting of the wire or cable where a plug isfitted in the socket.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of thischaracter which is comparatively sim 1e and inexpensive in its constructon, w ich can be embodied in the conventional socket casing and utilizedin connection with the usual switch, which forms a good contact, andwhich holds the [111% or lamp securely in position.

ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinatrons and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims. a

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing descfi pltiion and accompanying drawing, in w 1c Figure 1 is aside elevation of an electric light socket constructed in accordancewith the invention, portions being broken away and shown in section toillustiate the construction of the inner contact linin or shell.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of tfie contact shell, showing the thesocket.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through one side ofthe contact shell, showing one of the pointed spring noses.

same as detached from Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the contact shellwith a portion thereof broken away to show the relative positioning ofthe several pointed spring noses to engage the conventional threads of aplug or electric light base Corresponding and like parts are referred toin the following description andindicated in all the views of thedrawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, the numeral 1 designates the outer shell of an electric lightsocket A which may be rovided in the upper end thereof with a swltch ofthe usual construction, said switch being controlled by the finger piece2. A wire or cable 3 enters the socket through the upper end thereof,and the outer shell 1 is lined with the usual insulatin sleeve 4.

A tubular contact she 5 of a proper size to receive the conventionalthreaded plug or electric light base is fitted in the open end of thecasing 1, being insulated therefrom by the sleeve 4. upper end of thecontact shell is flanged at 6 for attachment in the usual manner to theporcelain body 7 in the upper end of the socket. One side of the contactshell 5 is cut away at the upper end thereof as indicated at 8, toprovide a clearance opening for the center contact arm 9, the usualinsulating disk 10 being interposed between the center contact arm andthe flanged upper end 6 of the shell 5.

A series of longitudinal slits 12 extend along the sides of the contactshell 5 from the outer end thereof and sub-divide the open end of theshell into a series of resilient sections which will accommodatethemselves to the size of the outer casing and insulating sleeve andhave a firm frictional en age. ment with the latter. Each of theseresilient sections of the contact shell is provided with an opening 14through which a pointed s ring nose 15 projects into the interior of theshell. These pointed noses 15 are formed by sharp crimps in the middleportions of spring strips 16, the end portions of the sprin stripsextending upwardly and downward y respectively along the exterior of theshell 5, and being threaded back and forth throu h a air of openings inthe ell, as in icate at 17, so as to have a firm interlocki The pointedspring noses 15 project into the shell at a plurality of points in theperiphconnection with the shell.

or thereof, and serve to en age the threaded si e walls of a oonventionaplug or electric light base. The several resilient noses 15 are arrangedat sli htlydifferent points in the length of the s ell 5, as is moreclearly indicated by Fi 5, so that they will engage the conventionathreads of a plug an a mit of the latter being screwed firmly home afterbeing initially thrust into the socket. When ap lying a lug or electriclight base to the soc et it is orcibly pushed into position, theresiliency of the pointed noses 15 enabling them to yield a suflicientamount to slip over the threaded sides of the plug. After the plug hasbeen positioned it may be iven a turn to seat it firmly in position aninsure a proper contact with the center contact arm 9. When it isdesired to remove the plu from the socket it can be forcibly pulle outof position. All of the delay incident to screwing and unscrewing a plugin the socket is thus avoided, as well as the objectionable twisting ofthe cable or cord which is always incident to screwing a plu into asocket.

Ifavin thus described the invention, what I c aim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A socket for electric lights and the like, including an inner contactshell havin smooth sides and provided at different points in theperiphery thereof with a series of openings, and s ring strips appliedto the exterior of the 5 middle portions with sharp crim'ps whichproject through the openings of the shell ell and formed at their intothe interior thereof, the end portions of the spring strips beingthreaded back and forth through the shell and firmly anchored inposition thereon, while the sharp crim s A forc ly pushed into or pulledfrom 081- tion.

2. A socket for electric lights and thelike,

including an inner contact shell haying smooth sides and provided withlongitudinal slits extendin from the open end thereof and sub-dividingthe same into a series of resilient sections. each section being formedwith an opening, and spring strips applied to the exterior of the shelland having the middle portions thereof formed with sharp crimps whichroject through thesaid openings, while the end portions of the sprinstrips are threaded back and forth throug the shell and firmly anchoredin position thereon, the sharp crimps providing spring noses which areadapted to engage the threads of a conventional plug, and which areieldable to admit of the plug being forci ly pushed into or ulled fromposition.

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscriuing witnesses.

R, RAY A. Gemini.

